Tingle Falls in Love
by Colleentj
Summary: While floating over the land of Hyrule, Tingle sees Malon and instantly falls in love. However, there's a problem. A certain Fairy Boy manages to get in the way, and Tingle is not pleased. ...yes, it's drabble. But it's fun!


Tingle bobbed happily in his shiny red balloon over the beautiful land of Hyrule.

Lakes like Lake Hylia deserved to be beautiful. The Desert, sparkling in daylight, could certainly be addressed as such. The long, grassy plains that waved and gleamed in the sun had a beauty of its own.

He bobbed forth from southern Hyrule and continued to float along a path he had charted for himself. Tingle accidentally found that his course crossed over a ranch. Lon Lon Ranch, he read. It was a pretty ranch, he decided. Grassy, with a big house and horses, and cows, and _cuccos_! The Ranch owner and his journeyman were having a conversation between the house and the stable.

And then a woman came out from the house to speak with her father, and Tingle's heart stopped.

More beautiful than the thousands of lakes and deserts and grasslands all of Hyrule had to offer was this woman, decided Tingle. She had red hair, long, red hair, and smiled quite often. Her eyes were blue as if reflecting the sky, and Tingle felt as if he were falling into them.

He pulled out of his trance and thought for a moment, and discovered himself very much in love. With this decided upon, he let the air out of his balloon and fell into the inner section of the ranch. He watched the girl and was pleased.

She spoke with her father for a minute or two, and then went into the stable. She returned only moments later with a bucket, and then crossed across the entire ranch and into the stone building at the back. Tingle followed her and peered through a window.

She hummed to herself as she milked the cow that was inside, and Tingle could even see the _cow _smiling. How could any creature not be pleased with such a sweet, sweet girl?

He decided that he must speak with her. As soon as possible, he realized, but… not yet.

He couldn't, without something to offer!

He crawled through an opening in the fence and out into Hyrule Field, where he saw a patch of flowers over by a stone wall. He happily scooted over to the flowers and picked up a bunch, arranging them together into a bouquet.

Satisfied, he returned to the ranch through the hole. The girl was still in the stone building, as was proven through Tingle's view through the window. There was only one problem.

There was somebody else inside, too.

A young man clad in green sat on a crate. He carried a sword and shield, and a bow slung across his back. Long, blond hair fell across his face, and his ears were long and slender.

A fairy, thought Tingle? Or a demon, sent to steal away his precious lover? He listened to the conversation that followed.

"…sounds frightening," the girl was saying.

"It wasn't," contradicted the young man, which earned a swat from the girl.

"Oh, shut up, Fairy Boy! I know you better than that! Even Heroes get frightened."

It was true, then! He _was _a fairy after all! But… a demon all the same.

"Well," said the young man, shifting his weight. "I don't know… sometimes, I just get caught up in the moment, and I don't know _what's _happening. It's usually all over before I have time to react."

The girl smiled. "What keeps you going?" she asked. "There has to be something that motivates your courage."

Tingle snarled. The girl seemed to admire Fairy Boy quite a lot.

"I'm not sure," answered Fairy Boy. "But sometimes, when I get knocked over, I think of all of the people that are depending on me. Not just my friends, but the strangers whose life I might change by prevailing. Does that make no sense?"

The girl smiled. "It does, in a way. You know, Fairy Boy, we're all rooting for you here at the ranch. Even Ingo."

"Thanks, Malon," said Fairy Boy, and he smiled a very genuine grin.

This was sickening! Tingle could take no more of it. He marched around the barn and was about to kick over the door when it opened, and he felt himself knocked over. This was the work of Fairy Boy, but he didn't notice. He just kept walking, and mounted his horse. He rode the horse slowly to the end of the ranch alongside Malon. Neither noticed Tingle following after them, bouquet in hand.

"I really need to go," Fairy Boy stated, watching the setting sun. "Zelda… I still haven't found her."

Tingle noticed a hint of sorrow in Malon's eyes. Was it for Fairy Boy, or this missing Zelda person? Either way, Tingle didn't like to see her sad. After all, if she was sad, _he _was sad.

"Goodbye," Malon said, smiling sadly. "Be careful out there."

"I'll try," said Fairy boy. Malon patted his hand, and then pulled away.

"Promise?"

"I said I'll try. Isn't that good enough?"

"No," Malon said, but Fairy Boy had already ridden away. She sighed and leaned against the wall.

Tingle summed up all of his courage and spoke.

"What you need," he said, walking straight up to her, "is a real man. I can offer that."

Malon looked down at him and shrieked, dropping her bucket to the ground and spilling all of the milk out of it. "Oh _no_!" she exclaimed.

"I've got it!" said Tingle. "Tingle, Tingle," he chanted, "Koolooh-Limpah!" He twirled, and the milk slid back into the tipped bucket, and it turned upright again.

Malon giggled. "Thank you," she said, and picked up the bucket. She had obviously gotten over her fears. "Who are you?"

"I'm Tingle," said he. "I have caught sight of you, and ever since, my heart has ached with love and agony. Please, I beg of you… will you marry me?" Tingle held out the bouquet, which Malon took. She giggled again and knelt down, placing the bucket beside her.

"I'm very honored at such a proposal," she said. "However, I do not think I could ever deserve such a stunning man as you are. Therefore, I am forced to decline."

Tingle blushed. "My dear Lady Malon, you are the humblest and fairest of all maidens. However, it would mean the world to me if you would only accept."

"Oh, but I could never," said Malon. "You see, the world is in such trouble right now that a wedding would never be appropriate. Besides, Princess Zelda has gone missing, and she is amiable and beautiful and very wise. We must save the first wedding of the Era of Peace for her, as she is a Princess and that is a privilege. I'm sure that whatever man found the missing princess would be granted his hand at once."

Tingle's eyes lit up. "I see," he said, no longer upset. "Well, then, off I shall go."

He blew up his balloon and took flight into the sky, thrilled at the prospect of this beautiful princess. He would find her, and become Prince Tingle. He was already forgetting about Malon as he bobbed off into the sunset.

"Like two peas in a pod," she sighed, watching Link ride away on one steed while Tingle was carried away on another. "Both looking for a Princess that they'll never find… a Princess who's probably dead."

Sheik sat on the roof, watching the conversation, and laughing at the stupidity of all three.

**A/N: Eh. Drabble. But I came up with this idea, and it was 5:00 in the morning, and I thought: "Eh, why not?" So here it is. Hoorah! x) **


End file.
